christmasIt can't be only me obsessing about this holiday season and family finances--and where the two shall meet. Many of us are in a crunch this year, but somehow that doesn't stop the overspending visions that dance in our heads. I figure if I can just coach myself enough to calm my inner-Santa down in these last days before the official frenzy begins, then maybe I'll be better off--more likely to resist every temptation. To help me out, I talked to primadonna, group leader of budgeting and finances about ways to think money smart this and every holiday.

"I encourage everyone to sit down and make an honest, realistic budget every year," she says. Think about what you spent last year on gifts and forecast. Can you afford to spend that much again? How much less? Like that. Promise yourself you will stick to your budget no matter what!

A wonderful gift for a child that will far outlast anything you can grab at a mall is a savings bond. "A savings bond will never be worth less that what you paid for it," primadonna adds. "You will not be taxed on savings bonds nor its interest, and it could be a great way to pay for college. There are several different kinds of savings bonds, so do your research to determine which is best for you. They're a great  gift for long-distance loved ones. Easy to ship for the price of one stamp!"

Lastly, our financial guru shared her big secret about a great way to save for next year's holiday season--shop for Christmas and other occasions all year long. "The best buys are after Christmas and I do most of my shopping in January for the upcoming year," she says. " I also catalog shop in January as most companies want to rid their inventory from the previous year. The more you buy, the more you'll save in shipping, so the new year is a great time to splurge on not only Christmas gifts, but birthday, graduation and anniversary gifts, as well!"

Read more about saving money this holiday in Toddler Buzz.

Get in the spirit and share your holiday money-saving tips!